


Nine or Ten Songs (I Had Let Pass Before)

by sinandmisery



Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-05 04:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinandmisery/pseuds/sinandmisery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which Jesse keeps sending ridiculous singing telegrams to Beca, but his plan backfires when she falls for the singer instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Easter

**Author's Note:**

> So this might be the most ridiculous idea I've ever started working on, but inception-anon prompted me and the idea was too awesome/hilarious to say no. This fic will be several short chapters; each one of them a different holiday and/or important moment in Beca's life...

The first time they meet is Easter.

Beca's in the bar alone, stocking the beer cooler in preparation for the post-family get together rush (it's inevitable on  _any_  holiday) and wiping down the bar when she hears the door chime. She glances up at the clock - 11:30, still 30 minutes before they officially open - and shakes her head. She should have left the door locked.

"We're not open yet," she says, but then she actually looks at the woman and her jaw drops - actually drops, which she thought only really happened in the movies Jesse always makes her watch - because there's no way she's seeing this right. The girl is dressed like a bunny - more like a Playboy bunny than an actual rabbit - with white ears perched atop red waves that fall down across her shoulders. She wears a white tank top and white cut off shorts that are ridiculously short, showing off her long tan legs, and Beca's pretty sure she caught a glimpse of a cottontail attached to the back.

"Oh, that's okay," the woman says with a smile that's almost as charming as her bright blue eyes. She places the basket in her hand on a table and then turns back to Beca. "I take it you're Beca Mitchell?"

"Uh, yeah," Beca nods, curious as to how the girl knows her name. She tucks the rag in her back pocket and walks out from behind the bar, leaning against the edge as she gives her another once over. "And you are?"

In lieu of response, the woman bursts into song. And by song, she kind of means she bursts into a rap because she's dropping lines about candy shops and lollipops and Beca's blushing furiously, hiding her head in her hands.

_"You can have it your way, how do you want it? You gon' back that thing up or should I push up on it?"_ She questions through song, moving closer to Beca, hips swaying in the same rhythm as the verse. (And yes, Beca notices when she turns around, there's definitely a cottontail.)

The song ends after the first verse and Beca finds that she's actually a little disappointed when she stops. Her skin feels heated and she jams her hands in her pockets, awkward and unsure, but then Chloe's reaching out, handing her the basket which is full of candy and a card in a purple envelope.

"Happy Easter!"

"Uh, Happy Easter to you too?" Beca says as the girls walks away, but it comes out more like a question because she's pretty sure Easter doesn't normally come with singing telegrams with wildly inappropriate lyrics (and mildly inappropriate accompanying dance moves).

"By the way," the girl says, turning before she makes her way through the door. "My name's Chloe."

"Bye, Chloe," Beca calls. She watches as Chloe leaves, still a little dumbfounded by the entire thing. She grabs the card and rips it open, eyes scanning a simple  _Happy Easter! - Jesse_  inside.

She makes her way back behind the bar, grabbing a Reese's egg from the basket before shooting Jesse a quick text.

_You're a fucking idiot._


	2. April Fools' Day

Beca sighs as she pulls on her apron, trudging out to the front of the coffee shop. She squints her bleary eyes at the sudden change in lighting and manages to stifle a yawn as her coworker shoves an already cooled-off double shot in her hand.

"Thanks, Stace," Beca mumbles sleepily before downing the drink. She winces at its bitter taste, but it's worth it when she feels it kick in almost instantly.

"You look like shit," Stacie tells her. "Coffee or counter?"

"Gee, thanks. Love you too," Beca says, rolling her eyes. She weighs the options of coffee or counter but ultimately decides that coffee is her best bet; it requires a little more attention but her only human interaction is calling out names. "Coffee," she finally says.

"Long night?" Stacie asks, tapping her employee code into the kiosk to clock in. When Beca reaches do the same, Stacie shrugs her off. "I got ya."

"Someone called out at the bar so I had to pull a double last night. Didn't get home until three, then I had to be here at five."

"Damn girl," Stacie says, shaking her head. "You gotta stop over working yourself."

"Trust me, I know," Beca tells her. "Oh, and get this. Jesse sent me a singing telegram yesterday. Did you even know those were real?"

"What the fuck?" Stacie laughs. "A telegram?"

"Right? And dude you'll never..." Beca starts, but a customer walks in and she stops mid-sentence. "I'll tell you on break."

**-xxx-**

The morning rush is good. It keeps Beca moving so she doesn't have time to think about the fact that she hasn't slept in almost 24 hours and working coffee limits her human interaction so she doesn't have to snap at anyone taking too long to order.

"Grande vanilla spice latte, extra vanilla for," Beca's eyes go wide when she sees the name written in Stacie's girly scrawl. "For Chloe."

 _It's Los Angeles_  she tells herself.  _There are probably 10,000 girls in the city with that name._

"Oh, that's me," a voice says, and Beca looks up from the coffee cup she's staring at, straight into the eyes of the same Chloe from the night before. "Oh my God! Beca!"

Beca blinks and shakes her head, effectively bringing herself out of her stupor. "Wow," she mutters quietly. "Hi."

"Hi," Chloe says back. "So you work here too?"

"Yeah. Gotta pay the bills," Beca tells her, kind of thankful that the mid-morning lull has hit and she doesn't have any drinks to get back to right away. "So are you here to serenade me again?"

Chloe giggles. "Not today, just needed my caffeine fix. Sorry about that, by the way. You looked pretty embarrassed last night."

"It's okay. It's not every day that a girl shows up dressed like a rabbit to deliver me candy and seduce me with overly sexual rap songs," Beca says with a smirk.

Chloe laughs and blushes, obviously embarrassed as she covers her face. "Hey,  _your_  boyfriend paid for it," she tells her. "And anyway... gotta pay the bills."

"Boyfriend?" Stacie asks from behind Beca. "He wishes."

"Oh, oops. My bad. I just thought..."

"It's okay," Beca reassures her again.

"Okay," Chloe nods. "So I'll see ya around?"

"Sure," Beca says with a non-committal shrug. "I'll see ya around."

**-xxx-**

They do see each other around, actually, because Chloe starts coming in on Monday and Friday mornings during Beca's shift. They talk while Beca makes her order, chatting about any and everything that comes to mind. Chloe usually tells Beca about some telegram she had to deliver (As it turns out, the Easter one Beca received wasn't even  _close_  to the weirdest one she's delivered) and Beca shares stories of the drunks at the bar and the stories they like to tell. It's weird how easily conversation comes with the other woman, but Beca starts looking forward to her morning shifts and she's certainly not going to complain about how much faster it seems to make her day go.

**-xxx-**

After a few weeks, Chloe shows up at the very end of one of Beca's Wednesday midday shifts.

"Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me," Beca teases as she waits for the espresso to brew for Chloe's latte.

"And who says you know any better?" Chloe asks with a wink and Beca just shakes her head. "I may or may not have asked Stacie what your schedule was."

"So you  _are_  stalking me!" Beca accuses, feigning a look of shock. She can't hide the smile that breaks out immediately after. "So to what do I owe the stalking pleasure?"

"Well," Chloe starts, taking a sip from the cup Beca hands her before continuing. "I was thinking maybe we could grab lunch sometime. You're a lot of fun to talk to and I'd like to get to know you without a coffee bar between us."

"Are you sure you can handle me without a buffer?"

"I'm willing to try," Chloe says with an earnest smile. "I mean, I'd suggest coffee but I think we have coffee enough together."

"Correction,  _you_  have coffee enough when we're together," Beca teases. She looks at her watch and then back at Chloe. "Well, seeing as I'm off the clock in about 45 seconds and I'm absolutely starving, I could maybe agree to lunch."

"Great!" Chloe exclaims with a smile and Beca can't help the one that spreads across her face in return.


	3. Memorial Day, Part 1

She gets her next telegram on Memorial Day.

They've been hanging out on a fairly regular basis outside of the coffee shop; sometimes Chloe will bring lunch at the end of Beca's shift and other times they'll wander out together to find a new restaurant. Once, Chloe even gets Beca to go hiking with her at Runyon Canyon.

(Beca swears off hiking for the rest of her life after that.)

But on Memorial Day, Chloe rushes into the coffee shop during their midday lull, the thud of her weight against the door causing Beca to look up from the notepad she's doodling on.

"Chloe?" Beca questions, concerned with her rush and the paranoid way she's looking around the coffee shop.

Chloe strides up to the counter and offers Beca a smile. "Sorry, gotta pay the bills. I was hoping to catch you when no one else was around. At least not a customer," she says, nodding at Stacie who was doing her cuticles but is now watching their interaction with rapt attention.

Beca sighs. "Can't I just pay you to  _not_  sing?"

"Oh, so you don't like my voice?" Chloe pouts.

"No!" Beca jumps to apologize. "It's just that..." Chloe's laugh cuts her off, and Beca frowns.

"I was kidding."

"Alright, let's get on with it before someone  _does_  walk in and I get fired for whatever inappropriate message Jesse's sent today," Beca says, feigning indifference.

"You gotta be on the other side of the counter, Beca," Stacie says, winking at Chloe.

"She's singing, Stacie, not giving me a lap dance," Beca huffs but makes her way from behind the counter anyway. She catches the smirk on Chloe's face and raises her eyebrows, "Right?"

Chloe shrugs. "Just take a seat."

Beca looks over at Stacie who is laughing but then Chloe is singing and Beca's eyes are focused on swaying hips and shorts that are way too short. She recognizes the song as Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" and blushes even more if possible.

It should be weird - getting a semi-lap dance in the middle of a coffee shop - but it's strangely hot when the girl just inches from Beca's lap is _Chloe_. She's so focused that she almost forgets anyone is watching, but then Chloe's not singing and Stacie is laughing in the background.

"Wow," Stacie chuckles. "Jesse thinks  _he's_  going to seduce you like that?"

Beca shrugs and then someone walks through the door and she scrambles up out of the chair even though Chloe's standing a good three feet away at this point.

"Don't worry, I got it," Stacie says, as the customer approaches and Beca walks back over to Chloe.

"I, uh," Beca pauses and reaches up, scratching the back of her neck nervously. "I kinda feel like I should buy you a drink after that."

"I wouldn't object to that," Chloe says with a wink. "Maybe I'll come by the bar one night."

"I'm working tonight," Beca says, and then wants to kick herself for sounding so eager. "I mean, if you're free or whatever."

"Or whatever?" Chloe arches an eyebrow at Beca in question.

"Yeah. Or whatever. But on one condition."

"What's that?" Chloe asks, genuinely curious.

"No singing."

"Get a little liquor in me and I make no promises," she teases.

"Seriously."

"I am being serious," Chloe tells her with a dazzling smile and then kisses her cheek. "See you tonight. If I'm free. Or whatever."

Beca watches Chloe go, a grin on her face that she can't seem to wipe off even after Stacie gives her shit about it.

"Shut up," she says, pushing her way into the break room to grab her cell phone.

_Do you pay extra to get them to do dirty songs? I expected more out of you, Swanson._


	4. Memorial Day, Part 2

As it turns out, Chloe is free. Or whatever.

It's half past 10 when she shows up at the bar, wearing a low cut black top, skintight jeans, and heels, turning every - no, that's not an exaggeration - head in the joint as she saunters up to the bar.

Beca tries to keep her gaping to a minimum, so she smiles as Chloe approaches. She opens her mouth to say hi, but what comes out is, "I think this is the first time I've seen you with pants on."

Chloe bursts into laughter, the sound warm and rich over the din of the other bar patrons, and Beca's cheeks flush as she drops her head into her hand. "That's  _so_  not what I meant."

"You sure?" Chloe teases. "What goes on in that head of yours?"

"I meant you're always in shorts," Beca grouses, pouting just a little.

"Buy me a drink and we'll pretend you didn't just say you think about me naked all the time," Chloe offers flirtatiously. She winks, and honestly, on anyone else it'd be ridiculous but Chloe manages to pull it off.

"I said no such thing," Beca protests. "But I did already say I owed you a drink."

"Well now it's two."

"Careful, you're bordering on dangerous territory there," Beca teases. "What can I get you?"

"Vodka tonic," Chloe decides after a moment of deliberation. "And what do you mean, dangerous territory?"

"Three drink rule," Beca tells her as she grabs the bottle of Grey Goose for Chloe's drink "I'm sure you know it."

"You're sure? What makes you think I'm that kind of girl?"

"Well you did just admit you know it."

"For the general public, yes. In lawyer terms, no."

"So you're a lawyer now?" Beca asks, garnishing the drink with a lime and sliding it across the bar to Chloe.

"You never asked," Chloe notes, raising her drink to Beca in thanks. "Did you think I just sang for people for a living?"

Beca shrugs and pulls out a rag, wiping down the bar. "Never thought of it," she says, and then notices another patron's finishing off his beer. "I'll be right back."

**-xxx-**

Chloe's statement about no promises once she has a little liquor in her proves to be true. It's just after midnight and she's half way into her third drink (If the increase in her already flirtatious behavior is any indication, she just might be a three drink rule kind of girl.) when "I Love Rock-N-Roll" comes on the jukebox. She whoops and jumps from her seat then grabs Beca's arm to lead her out from behind the bar.

"I love this song!" she shouts once they've reached the dance floor where a good portion of the bar has made their way already. She tugs Beca closer by the belt loops, swaying their hips together to the beat, and leans in close, the vodka strong on her breath as she sings the lyrics to Beca.

"Said can I take you home, where we can be alo-o-o-o-o-one and next we're movin' on and she was with me..."

"Yeah me!" everyone shouts, and then Chloe's whispering against her ear again and Beca can't tell if it's just really hot in the bar or what, but she's suddenly feeling a little lightheaded.

**-xxx-**

Chloe stays until closing time.

"Do a shot with me," she says once everyone else is out. "Or will you get fired for that?"

"I've known Benji's dad since grade school, so I probably wouldn't get fired," Beca says. "But I am working a double at the coffee shop tomorrow. Rain check?"

Chloe pouts but nods anyway. "Okay, but I'm holding you to it."

"I won't forget," Beca tells her. She quickly finishes cashing out and starts to shut down all the lights and lock up. Chloe follows her, not quite steady on her feet, and Beca realizes she can't let her drive home. "How about you come grab breakfast with me instead?"

"Mmmm. Will you buy me bacon?"

Beca laughs and starts to make a joke about how Chloe's the lawyer and should be buying, but then Chloe's wrapping herself against Beca's side and nuzzling against her neck as they walk out the back door, so Beca just says, "Sure. Anything you want."


	5. First Day of Summer

Her next telegram comes on the first day of summer and to say it's a surprise is an understatement.

**-xxx-**

(She and Chloe have hung out literally every day for the past month, from grabbing lunch to hiking - as it turns out, there's no such thing as swearing off something for your entire life when Chloe's involved - to just hanging out at one of their apartments. Beca played a few mixes for Chloe - ones that Beca's extremely proud of, but will never make it anywhere outside of her own apartment - and once, Chloe even met Jesse. She was on her way over while Jesse was on his way out after staying long past the credits on whatever 80s movie he'd suckered her into watching, despite Beca telling him she had company coming over. Luckily, she'd managed to escape that one without Jesse finding out how she actually met Chloe.

Earlier in the month, she had interviewed with an independent radio station and the manager, Luke, was kind of a douche - she lost count of the number of times he called her "Becky" - but when he said they'd be making the decision by the end of the month, she had walked out feeling pretty confident.)

**-xxx-**

Twenty days later, however, the confidence starts to wane. She checks her phone for the millionth time in the last hour - no calls, no emails, no texts - and sighs.

"It'll be okay," Stacie assures her, reaching over to squeeze her hand gently. "They said by the end of the month; you've still got another week and a half."

"I know," Beca says with a grunt, crossing her arms across her chest and sinking back into her couch. "I just wish they'd let me know instead of making me wait. I've been jumping every damn time my phone makes a noise."

Stacie laughs when Beca reaches for her phone again. "And every time it doesn't, apparently. I'm gonna take it away from you if you don't stop."

"Fine," Beca says as she jams her hands in her pockets, but that doesn't stop the itch to check once again.

**-xxx-**

It's nearly 4 when her phone does ring. Her heart thuds harder against her ribcage when she sees it's a number she doesn't recognize and her hands shake as she answers.

"This is Beca."

"Hey Becky, it's Luke, from KBUJ."

Beca grits her teeth at the name (Seriously, she  _just_  said her name and he still can't get it right?) but forces a smile onto her face as she says, "Yeah?"

"Just wanted to give you a call and let you know we made our decision," Luke tells her and her mind instantly goes to the worst place, anxiety knotting in the pit of her stomach and making her want to throw up. "We'd like it if you could come in on Monday and talk about your schedule and pay and all that stuff."

"I... What? Yes! Of course! Yes!" Beca's eyes go wide and she jumps off the couch, doing a little victory dance. "What time?"

Luke rattles off a bunch of details that Beca  _hmmms_ and  _okays_  at until he leaves her with a final. "Alright, see you next Monday!"

She's frozen. Luke has long hung up but she still holds the phone to her ear, like if she moves it, she'll wake up and none of it will actually be true. She doesn't know how long she stays there, but when she finally breaks her trance, it's to text  _everyone_ she knows. She starts with Chloe (of course) and by time she gets through her list - past from Benji to Fat Amy to Kimmy Jin (yes, even her, even if she's fairly certain her old high school lab partner  _hates_  her) to Jesse and all the way down to Stacie, with randoms in between - there's a knock on her door.

She looks through the peephole to find a mane of red hair and a grin breaks out on her face before she can even attempt to stop it.

"Hi," she says when she opens the door.

"Hi," Chloe murmurs back. She smiles for a second and then breaks into song, catching Beca by surprise when she walks forward, forcing Beca back into the apartment. Beca recognizes the song as "Boys of Summer" and smirks; Jesse clearly took her teasing to heart and finally went with an 80s song she's been expecting all along.

" _I can see you, your pale skin shinin' in the sun, you got your hair pulled up and your sunglasses on, baby,_ " Chloe sings, throwing in a wink with the lyric changes. She tosses her arms over Beca's shoulders, fingers linking behind her neck as she serenades her " _I can tell you my love for you will still be strong after the boys of summer have gone._ "

Beca frowns when the song ends, wanting to hear more of Chloe's voice and actually impressed by Jesse's ability to pick out a song that's both relevant and old school while managing to not be completely inappropriate. The love thing however...

"Congratulations, Beca," Chloe says, kissing her cheek (Beca's fairly certain that's not proper protocol for the whole telegram thing, but now that they're friends, the line  _is_  kind of blurred.) and handing her a card.

Beca takes it and drops to the couch, kicking up her feet on the coffee table as she opens the card. The front is a bunch of cartoon characters in various modes of celebration and she opens it to girly scrawl instead of Jesse's half chicken scratch letters.

_Congratulations, Beca! I knew you could do it._

_Love, Chloe_

Beca looks up at Chloe and squints, confused. "So that whole thing... was all you?"

Chloe shrugs and drops down on the couch next to Beca, the entire length of Chloe's left side pressed into Beca. "Some occasions call for song."

Beca chuckles and leans her head against Chloe's shoulder. "Yeah," she says, smiling. "I guess they do."


	6. Fourth of July Eve

The graveyard shift.

That's what she ends up with.

As it turns out, though, working the graveyard shift isn't so bad when you've got a friend studying for the bar. When she sets up the last of her queue at 1:30 in the morning - KBUJ goes silent from two until six am - and packs up her things, she sends Chloe a quick text.

_Still awake?_

_Yes. Starving :( You done?_

_Yeah. How do you feel about food? Late night taco run?_

_Hell yes! Come over to mine._

_K. Text me your address._

Thanks to the lack of traffic and online ordering, Beca makes it to Calle Tacos and Chloe's apartment in less than 15 minutes.

"It's me," she says into the call box when Chloe's voice floats through the speaker and Chloe buzzes her in immediately.

She's a little giddy as she makes her way up the stairs to Chloe's - third floor and second door on the right - and she can't figure out if it's just because she needs to wind down from her shift or that, despite the fact that Chloe has visited Beca's numerous times, she's never been over to Chloe's.

She finds the apartment easily and knocks, receiving a muffled  _come in_  as a response.

"You know you really shouldn't leave your door unlocked," Beca chastises as she steps in. "You never know what kind of creepers are out there."

"Hey, as long as those creepers bring me tacos, they're welcome at any time," Chloe teases, waving Beca over to the living room as she clears off the table. "But seriously. Thank you so much. I've been starving for hours."

"No worries, I needed someone to help me wind down anyway."

"Help you wind down, eh?" Chloe teases, nudging Beca with her shoulder.

"Shut up, ya perv. You know what I meant."

"I know."

They chat as they eat, mostly discussing Beca's new job and Chloe's pending bar exam as late night reruns of E! reality shows fill the background.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" Chloe asks. "Do you have the day off?"

"Yeah. Nothing much planned, I guess. I think Benji's parents are doing a party so I'll probably swing over there with him and Jesse."

"Oh," Chloe mutters, her face falling.

"Why, what's up?"

"Aubrey's having this big party at her parents' home in the hills. They're stupid rich and have this enormous infinity pool and Jacuzzi in the backyard of their monstrosity of a house. I guess there's a bunch of the gourmet food trucks catering it and all that and you can see like 5 different fireworks displays from the backyard. Anyway, I was hoping you'd come with me and save me from all the rich kids."

Beca laughs and shakes her head. "Isn't your best friend one of those rich kids."

"Aubrey's different," Chloe insists. "Sometimes, I guess. Anyway, I was probably going to go around four."

"Okay," Beca nods. "I'll swing by Benji's for lunch and then go with you. Should I bring anything?"

"Just a bikini."

"And if I don't have one of those?"

"Then I guess you'll just have to go naked," Chloe says with a wink, causing Beca to blush furiously.

"I'll bring it, I'll bring it."

"Good. And just so you know, your boyfriend's hired me to sing for you tomorrow."

"He's not my boyfriend," Beca sighs. "What are you supposed to sing this time?"

"LFO's  _Summer Girls_ ," Chloe says and Beca can't stop the laugh that erupts.

"Fuckin' seriously?"

"Fuckin'  _seriously_ ," Chloe confirms. "I don't know where he comes up with this stuff."

Beca laughs again and stands to clear their trash from the table. "I'll make you a deal. Come up with a different song and if Jesse asks, I'll just pretend you sang that one, okay?"

"You've got it," Chloe agrees, following Beca into the kitchen. "So does he know that I'm the girl he's been paying to serenade you yet?"

"Nah, I thought it'd be a little awkward," Beca admits.

"Maybe. Wine?" Chloe asks, pulling a bottle of red from her fridge.

Beca looks at the clock on the microwave, noting the time. "It's three in the morning. If you get me drinking now I'm never going to make it home."

"So stay," Chloe offers nonchalantly, pulling two glasses from the cabinet.

Beca weighs her options briefly, but quickly decides she's not ready to leave Chloe's just yet. (She chalks it up to Chloe's hospitality and the fact that they haven't had the chance to hang out much during the week.)

"Okay," she says with a nod, earning a bright grin from Chloe and a wine glass pushed into her hand. "I guess I can stay."


	7. Fourth of July, Part 1

Beca wakes up with a hangover the size of Texas.

Her head is throbbing from the two bottles of wine she and Chloe managed to go through before five am. She groans as she rolls off the couch and slips her shoes on, muscles aching with every tiny movement. Wine is always a bad idea - her hangover always starts before she's even finished drinking it - but she never seems to remember that until it's too late.

Still unsteady on her feet as she adjusts to being vertical, she stumbles into the kitchen for a glass of water. She downs two full glasses and finds a notepad, scribbling out a quick note ( _Call me later and we'll go to the party together. Oh, and thanks for the hangover. :( - B_ ) before heading out to her car.

**-xxx-**

"Becaw!" Jesse calls as Beca makes her way into the Applebaums' backyard just before noon. "You're here!"

"Yep." Beca smiles but cringes a little when he tackle hugs her, their height difference causing her to be suffocated by biceps, her sunglasses digging into her face.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Three jobs," is all she offers, but she feels a little bad about it because she's managed to see Chloe every day, even with the three jobs.

"I know! How's the station going, by the way?" He asks, leaving his arm draped over her shoulder as they make their way over toward the grill. She feels awkward, his arm heavy and uncomfortable against her shoulder and she can't help but contrast it against the way Chloe's fits so effortlessly against her.

"Good. Graveyard sucks but... I'm used to working the bar anyway," she says, thankful for the opportunity to duck out of his embrace as she says hello to everyone, but she doesn't miss his frown when she does.

Benji's parents ask about the gig at the station as well and she tells them all about it, going into as much detail as possible without boring them. Benji's dad offers to lighten her load at the bar, which she declines, telling him she enjoys staying busy.

"Well, you let me know if there's anything me and the missus can do for you," he offers with a smile. "You know you're like a daughter to us."

"Yes, sir," Beca says with a smile and a nod. The Applebaums had become her second family years ago when her own parents were separating; she'd spent many nights over at their house just to get away from the arguing.

Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she pulls it out, smiling when she sees Chloe's name. She excuses herself and makes her away across the yard to take the call.

"Hey you. How you feelin'?"

"Ugh, worst headache ever. I haven't even rolled out of bed yet," Chloe groans. "Why did we start drinking so late?"

Beca laughs, knowing exactly how Chloe feels. "It was your idea. Still on for the party, though?"

"Yeah. You wanna ride together? You could swing by here later."

"Sure," Beca says. "I'll call you when I'm on my way?"

"Yeah. I'm still thinking four, but that's subject to change based on my hangover."

"Okay," Beca tells her and then spots Jesse making his way over, two beers in hand. "I gotta go for now but I'll see you later."

"'Kay," Chloe says. "Don't have too much fun."

"You too. Later," Beca says, hanging up the phone just as Jesse comes over.

"Who was that?" He asks as he hands her the Blue Moon.

"Nosy much?" She snarks and then shakes her head at the beer. "Not drinking today."

"What?! It's the Fourth! You gotta party a little bit!"

"I've got another party to be at later, so I don't want to be too drunk to drive," Beca says. "Besides, I'm still nursing a hangover from last night."

"Another party? You mean you're bailing on us?"

"I'm here, aren't I? Chloe invited me to one of her friend's parties later tonight."

"Of course she did."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beca asks, confused by Jesse's sudden shift in attitude.

"Every time I want to hang out with you, you're either working or have plans with Chloe, so it figures that you've got plans with her on the one day I could actually see you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I needed your permission to hang out with my friends," Beca snaps.

"Friend? You've known her for like two months, Beca. You don't let anyone in that quickly," Jesse shoots back.

Beca stares at him, shocked. "Really? Since when did you become an expert on my life?"

"I don't know, maybe since I've been trying to get you to go out with me for how long now and you won't even agree to give me a shot?"

"Seriously? That's what this is about? Forget it; I'll see you later, Jesse," she says, stalking back across the yard and ignoring Jesse calling her back. She gives her apologies to the Applebaums for having to leave and Benji walks her to her car as she explains what actually happened.

"Sorry," Benji apologizes as they reach her car. "He'll calm down."

Beca rolls her eyes. "I know. It's just ridiculous."

"He really likes you," Benji offers with a shrug. "He's just got weird ways of showing it."

"I know, Benj. I just... he's like a brother, y'know? It'd be like  _us_  dating. Weird."

"Totally weird," Benji agrees, his awkward smile lighting up his whole face. "But don't worry about it, okay? We'll do dinner later this week, no Jesse."

"You're the best," Beca says, giving him a high five. "Try not to let him mope all day?"

"I'll try," Benji promises as Beca climbs in her car. "Have fun!"

"I will," Beca says, pulling out her phone to send off a quick text.

_Change of plans. Can I swing by now?_


	8. Chapter 8

The size of Aubrey's house is ridiculous.

 _House_  is putting it lightly, though, because the thing's like a god damned modern day castle and Beca's 95% certain that two of her apartments would fit in the entry way alone.

"Jesus Christ," Beca mumbles. "You said they had a huge house, not that they owned the LA Vatican."

Chloe laughs and slips her arm around Beca's waist. "I did tell you it was ridiculous, though. Behave and I might show you my room later," Chloe teases.

"You have a  _room_?" Beca questions incredulously.

"Duh," Chloe says, as if it's the most natural thing in the world to have your own room at your best friend's house. She winkes as she releases her grip on Beca and makes her way through the monstrosity to the party in the backyard.

Not wanting to get lost, Beca follows quickly and mutters a  _ridiculous_  when she passes the theatre in the living room.

"Bree!" Chloe squeals, throwing her arms around the tall blonde that Beca recognizes from various pictures on Chloe's Facebook.

"Hi, Chloe," Aubrey says, pulling back from the hug quickly when she notices Beca. "Who's  _this_?"

Beca rolls her eyes at Aubrey's snotty tone and the disapproving look she gives her, but then Chloe's jumping in, all rainbows and sunshine, so Beca forces a smile on to her face.

"This is Beca! Remember I told..."

"Yeah, I remember. I just wasn't picturing her so...  _alternative_ ," Aubrey says, spitting out the last word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "Didn't know that was your  _thing_  now."

"Her  _thing_?" Beca asks, confused.

"Nevermind. Help yourself to whatever just try not to break anything," she says, turning on her heel to leave.

"Sorry, Aubrey can be pretty abrasive if you don't really know her," Chloe apologizes.

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot. C'mon, let's grab a drink and get in the water."

**-xxx-**

"So what did Aubrey mean by  _your thing_  earlier?" Beca asks, leaning against the edge of the Jacuzzi and letting her feet drift out in the center. After several failed attempts at conversation with all the random rich kids throughout the day, she's quite thankful they seem to have dispersed about the house and yard, leaving her alone with Chloe.

"You're still thinking about that?"

"Alcohol sort of gives me a one track mind," Beca says, raising her half empty glass and waving it as a reminder.

Chloe stands, walking across the few feet between them to take a seat next to Beca, who tries not to stare too much at Chloe's bikini clad (and now soaking wet) body. Chloe grabs Beca's cup and takes a drink before dropping down on the bench next to Beca. "Aubrey just has this stupid idea," she says.

"Stupid idea, eh? Care to enlighten me?" Beca asks, her curiosity piqued even more by Chloe's evasiveness.

"It's just Aubrey being Aubrey," she says, making her way out of the Jacuzzi and grabbing Beca's cup. "I'm gonna go grab you another."

Beca frowns, absolutely perplexed by Chloe's behavior, but follows her anyway to dry off for awhile.

**-xxx-**

"Told you it was magical," Chloe says as she makes her way to the center of the pool where Beca is standing.

"It's pretty amazing," Beca agrees, head still tilted up and watching the firework displays across the city. She feels Chloe behind her - can tell she's mere inches away - but keeps her head up and tells her alcohol-clouded brain to stay focused.

"There's a spark in you," Chloe sings slowly, making the final move to close the gap between them and wrapping her arms around Beca. "You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine."

Beca draws in a sharp breath at Chloe's contact, her heart immediately pounding harder against her ribcage. She can feel Chloe's wet body pressed against her back and mouth against her ear as she sings/whispers an incredibly down tempo version of  _Firework_.

"Just own the night, like the Fourth of July," she continues, her thumb dancing over the skin at Beca's hip, the smooth movements aided even more by the water. "Baby you're a firework..."

Beca's eyes slip shut as she leans into the touch, ignoring the line of questions her brain has apparently decided to run through. She knows it's cliché, but there are miniature fireworks going off everywhere their skin is touching and it simply makes her itch for more.

"Come on show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go  _oh, oh, oh_..." Chloe is almost  _purring_  against Beca's ear as she emphasizes the last part with gentle squeezes to her hip.

Beca's brain short circuits as she's hit by an overwhelming wave of desire. "You're not playing fair, Beale," she manages quietly, proud that she's able to keep her voice steady.

"I know," Chloe says, scratching her thumbnail across the edge of Beca's bikini. "But it was better than  _Summer Girls,_  yeah?"


	9. Fourth of July (The Fallout)

Try as she might, Beca can't forget Aubrey's words.

Three days later, they're stretched out on Beca's couch, listening to some vinyl with half empty takeout containers littering the coffee table when she brings it up again.

"You know, you never answered me the other night."

"Huh?" Chloe tilts her head up from where it's resting in Beca's lap, squinting her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The other night, at Aubrey's," Beca clarifies. "Her  _your thing_  comment."

"You still haven't let that go?" Chloe asks, shaking her head.

Beca shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just curious."

"I told you, it's just Aubrey being Aubrey."

"Yeah, but I don't  _know_  Aubrey, so I don't know what that means," Beca says with a frown.

Chloe sits up and tucks her legs under herself, watching Beca closely. The expression on her face is unreadable as she picks at a loose thread on her cut offs, like she's suddenly nervous. "It was just a throw away comment, Beca. Aubrey just... sometimes she thinks she knows more about my life than I do. It's not really important."

"It is, though," Beca replies. "I know I'm not the greatest at reading people or whatever, but if it wasn't important, you'd just answer my question and be done with it."

"Beca..."

"It's okay," Beca shrugs. "I mean, I do want to know, but if..."

"She thinks I like you, okay?" Chloe says, cutting her off. "Oh." Beca can feel her heart thud harder in her chest and she fights the urge to smile, not wanting to freak Chloe out with the idiotic grin she knows would be plastered on her face.

"Yeah I mean we just started hanging out all the time and I guess Aubrey kind of picked up on the fact that I talk about you a lot so she thought that," Chloe rambles. "But then she met you and you're - in her words - so 'alternative' and not my type. That's what she meant by  _your thing_."

As quickly as her heart had just soared, it plummets.  _Of course she doesn't have a thing for me_ , Beca thinks. There was a small part of her that had hoped that the flirtiness wasn't just a part of Chloe's personality or the job, but she was clearly wrong about that. She looks at Chloe who is still all smiles but the nervous edge remains, her bright blue eyes never quite meeting Beca's.

"Oh. That's cool?" Beca says, but it comes out more like a question and she wants to kick herself for her own awkwardness. Chloe opens her mouth to say something, but there's a knock at the door and Beca jumps up to go grab it, thankful for the interruption. She opens the door to find Jesse on the other side and sighs; maybe it  _isn't_  an interruption she should be thankful for.

"Hey," Jesse says when she opens the door, shifting his weight awkwardly.

"Yes?" Beca asks, leaning against the doorframe.

"I, uh, was hoping we could talk. Alone," he adds on, nodding toward Chloe who's still sitting on the couch.

"Well then you should have called to see if I was alone before you just dropped by," Beca remarks, unmoving. "I'm not particularly in the mood for talking about what happened at Benji's, but if you insist, anything you have to say to me you can say in front of Chloe."

"Seriously, Beca? You barely know her; she doesn't get to be involved in our business."

"There you go again trying to tell me what I can and can't do with my friends. And there's no  _our_  business, Jesse!" Beca huffs.

"I can go," Chloe offers but Beca spins around and shakes her head.

"No, stay. Please," Beca says, and Chloe sits back down.

"Beca," Jesse pleads, drawing her attention back to him. "Just five minutes alone. Please."

Beca sighs and rolls her eyes, stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind her. "Five minutes. And anything else about Chloe and I'm done."

Jesse nods. "Look, I'm sorry for being an ass at Benji's. And just now, but I..." Jesse trails off and scratches the back of his neck, sighing deeply before speaking again. "I really like you, Beca, and I've been trying to get you to notice that, but you've suddenly got Chloe and... ugh, see! That's my point!"

"What?" Beca asks, extremely confused by his sudden rant.

"Your smile. All I said was her name and you've suddenly got this ridiculous smile on your face. What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing!" Beca exclaims and then, at a lower volume adds, "Not that I need to explain myself to you, but Chloe and I are just friends, Jesse."

"Then why won't you go out with me? Just one date; that's all I'm asking," Jesse pleads.

"Not dating Chloe doesn't mean I have to date you," Beca tells him with a sigh. "And it's not that I don't like you, Jesse; I do. A lot, actually, but you're one of my best friends and I don't want to screw that up, and you're like my brother. It would just be weird."

Jesse stares at her for a long moment, the hurt easily visible in his eyes, before he speaks. "Is there  _anything_  I can do to change your mind?" he pleads.

"Jesse..."

"Okay, okay," he mutters. "But either way, just know that I  _am_  sorry for being a jerk, okay?"

"Okay," Beca nods, letting him hug her briefly. "I should get back in there."

Jesse nods, heading for the stairs without another word.

"Everything okay?" Chloe asks when Beca walks back in.

"Yeah," Beca sighs, dropping back down on the couch. "Just perfect."


	10. Labor Day Weekend

Beca hates karaoke.

Of course, it's not so much that she hates singing karaoke - singing's pretty fun and so what if some drunken assholes are listening in - it's that she hates  _listening_ to karaoke. This isn't normally a problem, except there's the fact that she's got a handful of musically inclined friends and Amy's finally back from Tasmania (something about her brother losing an arm during a croc fight) so when Amy says they need a "girls' night," it just means "karaoke night."

Luckily for Beca, they end up at the hole in the wall a few blocks from Stacie's apartment, a place they go quite frequently because the drinks are cheap, the bartender knows them all, and they're usually the only people there, so it eliminates most of the things that she hates about going out in general.

"So tell me about the ginger," Amy says as she drops down on the couch next to Beca while Stacie and Cynthia Rose grab the first round of drinks.

"You'll meet her soon enough. She should be on her way," Beca says, grabbing her phone to text Chloe and verify that she is, in fact, on her way.

"Stacie says you have quite the ladyboner for her."

Beca laughs and drops her head into her hands. "God, please don't say that in front of Chloe," she mutters.

"Awwww yeah, you do have a ladyboner!" Fat Amy exclaims as Stacie and Cynthia Rose make their way back. "Have you guys met our tiny DJs lady?"

"Yeah!" Stacie exclaims while Cynthia Rose shakes her head. "She came into the coffee shop and..."

"Alright!" Beca says, grabbing her drink and raising it in toast. "Here's to Amy being back in LA again!"

"Cheers!" Everyone exclaims, clinking their glasses together, and Beca doesn't miss Amy's look at Stacie. Yep, that lap dance story is definitely coming out one way or another.

**-xxx-**

Chloe shows up halfway through their second round. They're still the only ones in the bar, but Amy finds it necessary to cry out, "The Ginger!"

"Jesus, Amy," Beca winces, covering her ear that she's certain has a fair amount of hearing damage now. She smiles and stands, letting Chloe have her seat on the couch. "Hey, Chlo."

"Hey!" Chloe smiles brightly but doesn't lean in for a hug the way she used to; it's been a little awkward since their talk and Beca's not really sure where that's left them. "Sorry I'm late."

"No worries. I know you know Stacie, but this is Cynthia Rose and Amy," Beca says, nodding to each of her friends before turning back to Chloe. "Can I grab you a drink?"

"I'll come with," Chloe says, following her to the bar.

Beca orders for the five of them and leans against the bar as she waits, looking at Chloe.

"Hey," Chloe whispers, just loud enough to be heard over the music in the bar. She reaches out with her left hand, brushing her knuckles against Beca's.

"Hi," Beca whispers back, shocked by the sparks between them in the brief contact. "I'm glad you could come."

"Me too," Chloe agrees. "I've missed you this week. It's been weird not seeing you everyday."

"Yeah," Beca agrees, hiding her smile behind a sip of her drink.

Beca can tell there's something else on Chloe's mind - something she's not saying - but even at her questioning gaze, Chloe refuses to reveal anything, so they make their way back to the table and sink into the couch between Cynthia Rose and Amy.

"So, how'd you meet our lil midget?" Fat Amy asks Chloe, getting a laugh from everyone except Beca, who just glares.

"Well," Chloe says, looking at Beca as if to ask permission to tell the full story.

"Go on..." Beca says, rolling her eyes before grabbing her drink and chugging it.

It's going to be a very, very long night.

**-xxx-**

A few rounds later, Amy convinces the bartender to fire up the karaoke machine and grabs the book to make requests for all of them. ("My welcome back party, my songs," she says.) While Beca's a little curious - and maybe a little scared - to find out what exactly Amy has in store, it's Chloe that has her even more curious.

She watches as Chloe leans into her friend and whispers something that earns her a high five and  _hell yeah!_ and a smirk directed at Beca.

Even through the haze of alcohol, Beca doesn't miss how Chloe's body language is completely different with Amy than it is with Beca. She's close, obviously, but her body doesn't press into Amy from shoulder to toe the way it does with Beca. She doesn't angle her body into Amy's and her fingers don't linger on Amy's skin just a second too long after she's finished talking. She attempts to think on it for a brief moment, but quickly decides to file this information away for sober analysis.

(She also files away that longing, jealous feeling in the pit of her stomach when Chloe's attention is on someone that  _isn't_  her. It's gotta be the alcohol.)

Beca gives Chloe a curious look, hoping for a little information, but Chloe just shrugs innocently and takes another sip of her drink.

Amy goes first, dragging Cynthia Rose up to the mic for an absolutely hilarious rendition of "It's Raining Men." Between Amy's over the top vocal runs and the simple fact that Cynthia Rose is singing anything about men, Beca's sides hurt from laughing so much. She gives them a standing ovation, swaying as the alcohol hits her when she jumps to her feet and immediately feels Chloe's hand at the small of her back, steadying her.

Beca turns, looking up into mesmerizing ice blue eyes, and smiles.

"You okay?" Chloe asks quietly.

Beca nods and  _oh god_  it would be so easy to just lean up on her toes and press her lips to Chloe's; to taste the alcohol and sugar on her mouth and smear that perfect pink lip gloss against her own lips. It would be so easy but...

_"I know you like me... I know you do... I know you do..."_

Beca's head whips around to find Stacie with the mic, pretty much purring out Pussycat Dolls lyrics and "dancing" against the one guy who made his way into the bar a few minutes prior. The look on his face is priceless, a mix of sheer terror and lust as Stacie practically climbs in his lap, using the bar stool as a makeshift stripper pole.

"Damn," Chloe mutters as she watches, and Beca's brow immediately furrows, feeling that jealousy creeping up once more.

"I think we lost her," Cynthia Rose remarks as the song ends and Stacie's attention is still focused on the guy at the bar.

"He's a goner," Amy chimes in. "Just like a dingo and a baby. You're up, DJ Short Stuff. Wikka Wikka Whaaaa."

Beca shakes her head and crosses the bar to get the mic from Stacie, who doesn't even bother looking her way as she hands it off.

A familiar beat plays through the speakers and Beca smirks, thankful Amy managed to pick out something she's familiar with.

 _"_ _Yo, yo... drop ya glasses, shake ya asses, face screwed up like you having hot flashes; which one, pick one, this one, classic... red from blonde, yeah bitch I'm drastic..."_ Beca raps, winking at Chloe when she sees the woman's jaw drop. As the hook approaches, she beckons her over with the crook of her finger and they join in together.

_"If I had to give you more, it's only been a year. Now I've got my foot through the door, and I ain't goin nowhere. It took a while to get me here, and I'm gonna take my time..."_

Chloe leans in close, practically whispering the last line against Beca's ear. _"Don't fight that good shit in your ear, now let me blow ya mind..."_

It takes everything in Beca to not stumble over her next words, but she powers through and Amy flashes her a thumbs up for the effort.

"Get it, shorty!" Amy catcalls when the song ends and she passes the mic off to Chloe. She high fives her and then stage whispers, "Ginger there wants in your pants."

"Mmmm hmmm," Cynthia Rose nods in agreement. "I mean  _damn_."

"We're just friends," Beca reminds them with a sigh as she grabs her drink, eyes trained on Chloe, swaying with the mic.

The 80s guitar that blasts through the speakers next throws her for a loop, but when the lyrics start, she rolls her eyes and laughs.

 _"Jessie is a friend, yeah I know he's been a good friend of mine, but lately something's changed it ain't hard to define, Jessie's got himself a girl and I wanna make her mine,"_ Chloe croons, earning hoots and hollers from Beca's friends on either side as Beca tries to maintain a straight face.

 _"You know I wish that I had Jessie's Girl. I wish that I had Jessie's Girl. Where can I find a woman like that?"_ Chloe punctuates the last line by pointing straight at Beca, who manages to oh so gracefully spill half her drink all over her shirt in shock.

"Careful there," Amy says. "I don't think that's the kind of _wet_ ginger there is aiming for."

"Oh my god!" Beca gasps, nearly spilling the rest on herself at Amy's remark.

When the song ends, Chloe makes her way over, looping her arms around a still shocked Beca's waist.

"How'd I do?" she asks innocently.

Beca shrugs noncommittally until Chloe pokes her in the side, threatening to tickle. "Okay, okay. It was good."

"Good enough I made you spill your drink, so I'm thinking better than good."

"You saw that, eh?" Beca asks, cheeks flushing.

"Oh yeah. Very graceful," she says, earning another shrug from Beca.

"By the way," Beca says, and then leans up on her toes, lips hovering millimeters from Chloe's before angling left and whispering against her ear. "I think you know I'm not  _Jesse's_  girl."


	11. One More Shot

Hanging out with Jesse alone is as awkward as expected.

They've spent time together since their talk after Benji's party, but Benji or Amy or her job at the bar has always mediated it, so this alone time feels awkward and tense. She's at his place, half watching a movie (What else is new?) and he's sitting a little too close for comfort. She has a small hunch that their talk hasn't quite connected with him yet, and the glances he sneaks when he thinks she isn't looking aren't really helping.

Beca shifts, leaning away from him and fishing her phone out of her pocket, hoping to get some moral support from Chloe. She smiles when she sees she has a message from the woman already, presumably a pep talk of sorts to get her through the afternoon she was dreading.

_I know this sounds weird, but does Jesse live at Yucca and Wilcox?_

Beca stares at her phone for a minute, a little creeped out. She catches Jesse looking but waves him off and types out a quick response.

_... yes. Why?_

_Apartment 400?_ is Chloe's immediately reply.

_Okay, you're starting to freak me out now, stalker. What's going on?_

_Fuck_

Beca's phone shows Chloe is still typing so she waits a moment to respond, and then a picture comes in. She can feel Jesse's glare but ignores it to open the picture. What she sees causes her jaw to drop, but she instantly closes it. She feels her heart thud against her chest as she stares at the picture Chloe sent her.

It's a snapshot of Chloe's jobs for the day, a list of addresses and songs followed by customer notes, and third from the top is Jesse's address. The song is "I Want You To Want Me," and the client notes simply read "Location is client's home. He is planning a date and he will join you in the song."

 _Well I guess that's my confirmation_  Beca types back, hands shaking with the anxiety coursing through her body.

 _I am so sorry_  Chloe writes back.  _I saved you for last. I'd skip it if I could._

 _He was bound to find out at some point_  Beca texts, but her sweaty palms make her wish that some point wasn't right now.

_I'll buy you a drink to make up for it. Xx_

The knock on Jesse's door comes less than a minute later and Beca jumps so hard she knocks the popcorn on the floor.

"Geez, anxious much, Becs?" Jesse asks, but there's a smile on his face as he walks to the door, a little more confidence in his step than usual. However, when he opens the door, that confidence falters ever so slightly. "Chloe?"

"Um, hi."

"Is this who you were texting?" Jesse asks incredulously. "Did you really invite her over here for our movie day?"

Beca rolls her eyes, wanting to point out - yet again - how ridiculous it is that he's always begging her to watch movies when she hates them, but Chloe comes to her rescue.

"Actually, I'm here because," Chloe clears her throat and tugs on the hem of her shirt before opening her mouth to sing, her eyes locked with Beca's.

_I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me, I'm begging you to beg me. Shine up my old -_

"Wait. You... wha... Are you fucking serious right now?" Jesse finally spits out, cutting her off once he manages to process everything.

"Is this some sort of joke?" He asks, looking from Beca to Chloe for an answer.

Beca's pretty sure her look of terror is a resounding  _no_ , so she looks down at her lap and waits for Chloe to answer.

"No, I..."

"Beca, what the fuck?" Jesse asks, cutting Chloe off. "How did you meet her?"

"We met at the bar," Beca reaffirms.

"The real story."

"Uh, Easter. The first one."

"You've gotta be kidding me! I spent all this time and money on this, trying to do something romantic and unique for you, for what? So you can date the girl  _I'm_ paying to help me with this? She's supposed to be serenading you for  _me_ ," Jesse says, his voice so eerily calm that Beca almost decide if he's mad or not.

"We're not dating," Beca says quietly. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to get all pissed about it like you clearly are now."

"You realize how ridiculous this is, right?" Jesse asks, and Beca can't help but roll her eyes because  _really_? He's going to talk about ridiculous after hiring someone to send her singing telegrams? "I do all this and you end up opening up to _her_."

"Her has a name and she's standing right here," Chloe says from behind him and Beca can't help but smirk at the glare on her face; her mean face is actually pretty intimidating.

"Like you can talk," Jesse says. "Isn't there some sort of ethics code against this?"

"Against what? Making friends? Beca told you we're not dating."

"After our last discussion, I figured you got the hint and we would be over it," Beca says, drawing Jesse's attention back as she picks up her bag and stands from the couch. "Chloe has nothing to do with the reason I won't go out with you, Jess. We've been friends for years and I haven't said yes in all that time. We're better as friends."

"But Beca..." Jesse starts and Beca shakes her head.

"I should go. I mean it, though, Jesse. I want to be your  _friend_. That's it. You just need to decide if that's enough for you," she tells him, slipping past him and into the hall with Chloe to bring the conversation to a quick end. She's not really interested in rehashing the same conversation she's had countless times.

Jesse nods solemnly and shuts the door behind her, the look of longing and sadness on his face almost making Beca feel bad for not being attracted to him.

"Well," Chloe says after a long moment of silence. "That was actually better than I expected."

Beca half-snorts and shakes her head. "Just wait til he gets drunk tonight."

"You know, I actually feel sort of bad for him," Chloe says, slipping her hand in Beca's and squeezing gently.

"Me too," Beca assures her. "He's a great guy, y'know? There's nothing really wrong with him - well, I mean, his overzealous nature can be intense but it's not like he does it to hurt anyone. He'd make a great boyfriend. Just not for me."

"And why's that?" Chloe asks, genuinely curious.

"Dunno," Beca responds, stepping onto the elevator. "I guess I'm not really looking for much of anything right now."

Chloe nods silently, the smile on her face dropping as she does. "So," she says, her brighter than sunshine grin plastered back on her face almost instantaneously. "How about that drink I owe you?"


	12. Halloween

Beca has always loved Halloween.

From a young age she was fascinated by the macabre and zombie movies quickly became bonding time for her and her dad. Given that her birthday was less than a week from her favorite holiday, her celebration of Halloween usually ran long, bumping well into the first week of November. (There was that one year they had completely converted the house into a haunted house and didn't take it down until a few days before Thanksgiving. That was her favorite Halloween memory.)

So when Chloe calls, asking if Beca wants to attend Aubrey's annual Halloween party with her - apparently Aubrey has parties for all the holidays - Beca says yes. Aubrey and all, there is no way Beca is going to pass up the opportunity to celebrate her favorite holiday with Chloe.

-xxx-

As it turns out, though, agreeing to go with Chloe also means being a part of costume, and Beca's been working on her own costume all year.

"So what are you actually going as?" Beca asks, fiddling with the faders to tweak her current mix.

"We," Chloe corrects with a smile. "And Mystique."

"Mystique?" Beca questions, quickly scrolling through her brain to place the name. "Oh. Wait. That blue chick from X-Men, yeah? How are we going to go as one person?"

"Well, she's a shapeshifter," Chloe says, as if that explains everything.

"Okayyyyy..."

"Which means it will be great! I'll go as Mystique - you know, red hair, blue skin and all - and you'll get to be Mystique pretending to be Beca."

"So... I'm going as myself," Beca states flatly, a slight frown marring her features.

" _Nooooooo_ , not at all. I mean, with shapeshifters and stuff, it's like the appearance and everything is right, but the mannerisms aren't," Chloe explains. "So if Mystique decided to shift into you, the outward appearance would be you but the way she acted wouldn't be quite right."

"Mmmhmm," Beca nods skeptically

"You don't have to dress up at all, but you still have a character to play."

"Right," Beca says, turning back to her laptop. "And what might this _character_ do?"

"Well, we can't be seen together," Chloe starts off with. "It'll totally ruin the whole concept."

"So you're making me go to your friend's house - your friend who hates me, by the way - and I'm not even allowed to see you all night?"

"It'll be fun!" Chloe encourages. "You basically get to act like me acting like you. And I never said I wouldn't see you at all, just that we have to be secretive about it. We'll be in the same room, just not together. And I mean, you've seen Aubrey's house..."

Chloe's wink at the end of the statement is all Beca needs to sigh in agreement.

-xxx-

"I don't understand why you have to pick out what I'm wearing," Beca says, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I'm going as _me_ , I'm pretty sure I can handle figuring out what I want to wear."

"But you're not going as you. You're going as me - Mystique - playing you. So it's technically what I would be wearing."

"Fine," Beca says, flopping backwards on to her bed. She gestures to her closet, which makes a grin break out on Chloe's face. "Dig in."

-xxx-

The look on Aubrey's face when Beca shows up without a costume is _almost_ what makes it worth letting Chloe talk her into this ridiculous idea in the first place. ( _Almost_ , because what really makes it worth it is what Chloe's wearing. She's blue from head to toe, her red hair - now trimmed shorter - is slicked back, and the only thing covering her head to toe blue skin is a pair of white knee high boots, white elbow length gloves, and what Beca can only be described as a scrap of white cloth that clings to her every curve. Slit up to her hips on both sides, the cloth is just barely wide enough to cover Chloe's ass as Beca is trying really, really hard not to stare.)

"Did you not tell her it was a _costume_ party?" Aubrey huffs at Chloe, completely ignoring the fact that Beca is _standing right next to her_ at the door.

"She is in costume!" Chloe offers. "She's me - Mystique - in shapeshifted form."

Aubrey shakes her head, turns back to the party, and Chloe slips her hand into Beca's, giving it a quick squeeze before heading in as well. Beca adjusts her shirt and runs her fingers through her hair one last time before taking a deep breath and following them inside.

-xxx-

Navigating the party without bumping into Chloe isn't terribly hard considering sheer number of people at Aubrey's house. However, avoiding all of the drunk morons doesn't manage to be quite as easy.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Someone slurs from behind her. She spins around to find a short guy in a black suit, white shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, and a pair of black aviators covering his eyes, reeking of weed and alcohol.

"You're too wasted to explain. Robin Thicke?" she asks, even though her question sounds more like a statement.

"You wanna go cross some blurred lines?"

She pulls a face and walks away, ignoring the _I know you want it!_ he calls as she stalks off to find Chloe. This whole staying apart thing is ridiculous.

Aubrey's house is a maze of hallways and rooms, but Beca sticks close to the activity, assuming Chloe wouldn't stray too far from the actual party. As she turns a corner, someone grabs her arm and Beca just barely manages to contain her squeak of surprise as she spins around.

"Listen, dude, I..." she trails off when she looks up and realizes who grabbed her. "Chloe. Hey. Sorry, I thought you were douchebag Robin Thicke I just walked out on."

"I see you met Bumper," Chloe says with a laugh.

"Mmmm... if that's who that was, then unfortunately I have."

"C'mere," Chloe says, tugging on Beca's wrist as she makes her way down one of the many hallways of the house.

"Where are we going?" Beca asks, but Chloe doesn't answer, just tugs her into one of the rooms and pushes Beca against the door. The door slams shut with the weight of their bodies and Chloe presses her hips into Beca's, effectively pinning her to the back of the door.

Beca sucks in a breath and tries not to focus on what Chloe's wearing (or not wearing, really) as she presses into her. Her hands flutter awkwardly at her sides until Chloe slips her fingers between Beca's own and moves them to Chloe's hips, flexing her fingers before she moves them away. She rolls her hips into Beca's and Beca drops her head to the door, ignoring the way it thumps against the wood.

Chloe brushes Beca's hair back, mouth ghosting its way from collarbone to ear, teeth almost but not quite grazing the sensitive skin.

"I wanna, li-li-li-lick you from your head to your toes and I wanna move from the bed down to the down to the to the floor," Chloe whispers against Beca's ear, and Beca tries to ignore the smell of vodka as Chloe works her way to the other ear in the same way. "Then I wanna, ah ah, you make it so good I don't wanna leave but I gotta kn-kn-kn-know what what's your fan-ta-ta-sy?"

Beca risks tilting her head down for a look at Chloe and it takes all she has not to kiss the seductive smirk off her mouth. 

"You're the worst," Beca mutters half-heartedly, and Chloe just laughs, nuzzling her face into the crook of Beca's neck and ignoring the blue paint that rubs off on the collar of her shirt.

 


End file.
